Carpet - stretcher



(No Model.)

W. A. POOL. CARPET STRETGHBP..

y No. 448,992. Patented Mar. 24, 1891.

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UNITED u STATES PATENT OFFICE,

lVILLlAM A.v POOL, OF STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,992, dated March 24, 1891.

Application filed December 22, 1890. Serial No. 375,453. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, XVILLIAM A. POOL, a citizen of theUn ited States, residin gat Statesville, in the county of Iredell and State of North Carolina,havein vented certain new and useful Improvementsin Carpet-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear,

sage of a claw-lever, which is adapted to vibrate laterally and slide up and down in said slot, said block being provided with stationary teeth inclined from the toe to the heel of block, and with a retaining-claw turned in an opposite direction to the stretching-teeth. With my carpet-stretcher a carpet can be readily and perfectly stretched without injury to the same and with very slight labor and cost to the operator.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the carpet-stretcher, showing the same as in the rst act of its use, the claw-lever having its claw forced into the floor and being in a position to be moved forward to stretch the carpet. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, showing very clearly the form of the rectangular upwardlyflared slot cut through its heel portion and the claw-lever as forced forward to a perpendicular position. Fig. 3 is a top view of the stretching-block, and Fig. el is a bottom view of the same.

A in the drawings represents the stretching-block; B, the slot; C, the claw-lever; D, stretching-teeth, and E the retaining-claw. The stretching-block A may be of any suit- .able shape, but preferably of a rectangular form, inclined on its top surface from its heel portion to its toe, its side profile being similar to a shoe-last. This block is provided at its heel portion with vthe rectangular` slot iiared upwardly either toward the toe portion of the block, orboth toward thetoe and heelportions thereof. Through this slot a claw-lever C is passed, which can, by reason of the flared form of the slot B, be vibrated laterally for the purpose of forcing the block forward or backward, and said lever being also arranged to be slid up and down to any extentnecessary in order to engage and disengage the clawlever from the floor. This claw-lever C is preferably of elliptical form in cross-section, in order that it shall not'turn in the slot, and on its upper and lower ends shoulders b b may be provided for keeping it connected with the block. In the lower stop or shoulder b the claw c of the lever may be inserted, or the claw may be made homogeneous with said lever. The lower shoulder serves for limiting the upward movement of the lever, while the upper one prevents the lever being drawn through the slot. This upper shoulder may be dispensed with, if desired. The claw c is so bent or curved that its point is toward the toe of the block, and the same enters the iioor in a reverse direction to that of the stretching-teeth D of the block, and by pressing the upper end of the claw-lever forward the lower end, being fulcrumed on the floor and the stretching-teeth being hooked in the carpet, the action of the lever on the block at the lower end of the slot causes the block carrying the teeth to move forward and thereby draw or stretch the carpet.

The stretching-block is provided on its bottom surface with a suitable number of the curved or inclined sharp penetrating stretching-teeth D, which enter the carpet in a reverse direction to that in which the claw c of lever O enters the door and draws the carpet forward, when the stretching-block carrying the teeth is moved forward by the claw-lever. Forward of t-hese stretching-teeth and in rear of the claw-lever I have pro vided the stout penetrating retaining-claw E, which is preferably of a slightly greater length than the claw c of lever C, and bent in th'e same direction, but in an opposite direction to that of the stretching-teeth D. This retaining-claw subserves avery important purpose, namely: When the claw of the lever has been embedded into the floor, the stretching-teeth fastened in the carpet, and the claw-lever moved forward to the desired extent for stretching the carpet, the retaining-claw is pressed or driven down IOO through the carpet into the loor and holds the carpet in its stretched condition until it is tacked down, when the stretcher can be easily removed by moving the claw-lever backward and drawing the same upward or in any other Suitable manner.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The carpet is tacked down at one cor ner of the room and spread ont smoothly over the floor and the operator turns up sufficient of the carpet at the opposite corner to allow him space to stand on the floor. This done, he applies the stretching-teeth of the stretcher near the edge of the carpet and presses the claw-lever into the floor, the carpet being slightly folded between the stretcher-teeth and the retaining-claw. By moving the rearwardly-inclined claw-lever forward the carpet will be drawn 'forward or stretched by the stretcher-teeth to the desired extent, this being due to the block carrying the stretcherteeth being forced forward by the lever, and by pressing down on the top of stretcherblock with the hand or foot the retainingclaw is driven through the stretched carpet into the floor and made to hold the carpet in its stretched condition until it is tacked down. The carpetstretcher is then removed and the operation repeated at the opposite corners of the room. If the room is a very large one and the carpet draws in foldsin the center, the stretcher may be applied at the edges of the carpet midway of the corners, so as to reduce these folds; but ordinarily a carpet can be perfect-ly laid by operating the stretcher from the corners of the room.

What I claim as my invention isl. In acarpet-stretcher, in combination, the stretching-block provided with stretchingteeth :inclined in a direction from the toe toward the heel of the block and having at its heel end an oblong slot, and a claw-lever the claw of which enters the floor in a reverse direction to that in which the stretching-teeth enter the carpet, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the stretching-block provided with stretchingteeth, and a retaining-claw having its point turned opposite to the stretching-teeth, and a claw-lever fitted in an upwardly-flared oblong slot, said level' having its fulcrurn in the lower part of lthe slot aud being capable of vibrating in the upper part of the slot and also sliding up and down therein, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the stretehing-block having stretching-teeth, anda retaining-claw, anda claw-lever, the said lever having a shoulder near its lower end below the block,whereby the lever is allowed to slide up and down in the slot and limited in its upward movement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. POOL Witnesses:

JOHN C. TUR-Nea, A. D. WATTS. 

